More than just an entertainer, Lawrence Welk was also a canny developer who put his mark on Santa Monica with the Champagne Towers apartment complex and the General Telephone high-rise office tower.
One of the earliest designs by renowned Los Angeles architects Thom Mayne and Michael Rotondi of Morphosis, completed in 1978 and intended to feel friendly for residents, with a do-it-yourself quality.
A wide array of diverse architectural styles dating from 1905 to the 1970s, all the buildings make sense together thanks to a cohesive master plan and strong landscape design.
Often described as designer Craig Ellwood's swansong, the ArtCenter bridge, an economical solution to the school's hilly canyon site, was one of the final commissions for his firm.
Bank of America Chinatown Branch, 2020. Photo by Jenna Snow.
Designed by Gilbert Leong and Richard Layne Tom in the 1970s, the Chinatown Branch of Bank of America is significant for its architecture and connection to L.A.'s growing Chinese American community. The property is being considered for Historic-Cultural Monument listing.
